Living Room Makeover - German Schmear Faux Brick Wall
February 21, 2018
A few days ago I shared the beginning of my living room makeover with the faux brick wall I created in my living/dining room and today I'm back to show you the finished wall!
I wanted to create a focal wall that had the appearance of old, weathered brick. I also wanted something lighter and brighter than the dark grey wall that was there before. My living room is north facing and a little dark feeling for my taste.
In an effort to lighten up the room and create an exciting focal point I recreated the feel of old brick with the German schmear technique (also sometimes called a mortar wash).
This took about 5 hours to complete but it's a very long wall so it would take even less time if you want to recreate this look on a smaller accent wall.
To start this process you'll load up your grout float with a good amount of joint compound (drywall compound and joint compound are the same thing so it's just whatever your hardware store calls it).
I recommend a rubber grout float for this project instead of a hard metal trowel to save your brick from getting scratched up.
Once you have your float loaded with the compound start at the seams and smear it all over the bricks paying special attention to the seams.
Once you have gotten one panel done it should have started to harden a little bit. Once it starts to harden a little you'll start scraping some back off and cleaning out the grout lines with a plastic putty knife.
I also used a tiling sponge to clean off some of the bricks and bring out the red again.
Have a bucket or large pan of water close by and get the sponge wet, wring it out and then wipe off some of the bricks.
Once I had the whole wall covered to my liking I went over it with fine sandpaper to knock off any chunks and then I went over the whole wall with the damp sponge to remove any dust.
Here is a shot of the wall before...
And after...
And here is a shot into the dining room before...
I decided to paint my interior garage door and a little accent wall while I was at it! Here is the garage door before...
And here is that same door painted a pretty navy blue called "Naval" by HGTV Home!
This is the sliding glass door wall before...
And after in that same navy color with crisp white trim in "Arctic Cotton"!
Here is the living room wall before...
After the faux brick was installed...
What do you think?
If you missed any of the progress so far you can catch up here:
I wanted to create a focal wall that had the appearance of old, weathered brick. I also wanted something lighter and brighter than the dark grey wall that was there before. My living room is north facing and a little dark feeling for my taste.
In an effort to lighten up the room and create an exciting focal point I recreated the feel of old brick with the German schmear technique (also sometimes called a mortar wash).
This took about 5 hours to complete but it's a very long wall so it would take even less time if you want to recreate this look on a smaller accent wall.
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Supplies
- Joint Compound (or drywall compound) - I used two 3.5 qt. containers
- Grout Float for spreading the joint compound
- Plastic Putty Knife for scraping
- Tiling Sponge
- Fine grit sandpaper
Once you have gotten one panel done it should have started to harden a little bit. Once it starts to harden a little you'll start scraping some back off and cleaning out the grout lines with a plastic putty knife.
I also used a tiling sponge to clean off some of the bricks and bring out the red again.
Have a bucket or large pan of water close by and get the sponge wet, wring it out and then wipe off some of the bricks.
Here is a little video of my process.
You can still see the seams a little bit but I think part of the reason they are so visible to me is that I know exactly where they are. Also, having things up against the wall and some artwork will distract the eye away from them.
Once I had the whole wall covered to my liking I went over it with fine sandpaper to knock off any chunks and then I went over the whole wall with the damp sponge to remove any dust.
Here is a shot of the wall before...
And after...
And here is a shot into the dining room before...
I decided to paint my interior garage door and a little accent wall while I was at it! Here is the garage door before...
And here is that same door painted a pretty navy blue called "Naval" by HGTV Home!
This is the sliding glass door wall before...
And after in that same navy color with crisp white trim in "Arctic Cotton"!
Here is the living room wall before...
What do you think?
If you missed any of the progress so far you can catch up here:
Next up in the living room makeover is painting the rest of the walls. I chose a warm, creamy white called "Downy", also from HGTV Home.
Posted by: Tania | Little Vintage Cottage
at February 21, 2018
Tag:
home decor
Thank you so much! You should definitely give it a shot, the hardest part was getting the brick panels on the wall since my home is old and nothing is straight or level!
ReplyDeleteTania
I love it! You did a really great job. I've been wanting a "brick" wall so maybe I'll give this a shot.
ReplyDelete:) gwingal
Thank you Linzey! I can't wait to get the rest of the room done!
ReplyDeleteTania
Thank you Mary! The blue was a last minute decision and I'm really happy with how that looks too!
ReplyDeleteTania
Tania what a huge difference the brick wall makes. Love all that texture and against the blue it is striking!
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine. You're home looks beautiful... I don't know what you're talking about! :)
ReplyDeleteTania
Wow that brightened up the space and it looks amazing!!! This German over here approves!!!!! You put me to shame, such a busy bee, always working so hard on your home!
ReplyDeleteTania, beautiful! You did a great job with the schmear. And, I love the navy and white. What a difference.
ReplyDeleteLinzey
Navy Blue-Is there another color? Dad-US NAVY 1965-1970
ReplyDeletelol... so glad you approve dad!
ReplyDeleteWell worth all your hard work, Tania. It looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Thank you so much Amalia!
ReplyDeleteTania
Yea!!! you did a fantastic job. I love the paint too. What color is it? I can't wait to see the next step.
ReplyDeleteThanks, the paint is called Naval by HGTV brand paint.
ReplyDeleteTania
What a change...so bright and airy now. Love it..and the Naval is a beautiful accent.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out beautifully but, WOW!!, what a lot of work you put in. It is so worth the effort though. I love the blue you picked. Good job!
ReplyDeleteTania, that wall is amazing!!! I love a good brick wall but the schmear technique really sets it off! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteJanie
Thank you Vikki, I am pretty happy with it too! Can't wait to do some more of the makeover when I'm feeling a little bit better... hopefully this weekend!
ReplyDeleteTania
Thanks Janie!
ReplyDeleteTania
Thanks Karen! It does feel so much lighter in here now!
ReplyDeleteTania
Absolutely LOVE!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda!
ReplyDeleteTania
I have been planning on putting up a faux brick wall in my kitchen. This is the best result I have ever seen! Thank you for posting and for joining my link party. I hope to welcome you back soon.
ReplyDeletewarm regards,
Dagmar Bleasdale
www.dagmarbleasdale.com
Thank you Dagmar! I hope you decide to try it soon!
ReplyDeleteTania
Oh my gosh Tania, I love the whole new look. We're busy redoing our upstairs lounge and I've been on the lookout for different ways to create a feature wall. I don't think I need to look any further. This is just perfectly beautiful
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Michelle! I think you'd really like a wall like this and it's pretty east to do too!
ReplyDeleteTania
Wow that looks amazing, I love it and the white smear just makes the whole room look brighter!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It really does lighten up the space!
ReplyDeleteTania